In partisan times, local candidates setting their own identities

President Donald Trump was a polarizing figure before he got elected and has continued to be a lightning rod since his inauguration. The same can be said for both Bernie Sanders and, of course, Hillary Clinton for the Democrats.

While the president is such a larger-than-life figure and Sanders and Clinton are still trying to have an impact on their party, candidates for local offices are, in some instances, distancing themselves from national party leaders and hoping to find their own identity (according to responses to questionnaires sent out by Hometown Life; not all candidates responded).

Dan Centers of Livonia, a Livonia Public Schools district board trustee who is running for state representative in the 19th District – which covers Livonia – said it’s time to “move beyond the Sanders/Clinton infighting of 2016.”

Centers(Photo: Submitted)

“Neither is on the ballot in 2018, ... Instead, a united party will need to work to stop the Republican attacks on wages and health care,” Centers said. “Michigan has major problems with infrastructure, education and transparency. All Democrats can agree those are the issues we need to address going forward.”

Laurie Pohutsky of Livonia, also running for the state House 19th District seat, called herself a “progressive who wants to see positive change” in Michigan and in the country.

Pohutsky(Photo: Submitted)

“I do not subscribe to business-as-usual politics and I do not want to merely maintain the status quo,” said Pohutsky, seeking her first elective office. “I believe in state-funded single-payer health care, making public education a priority and preserving the environment, particularly our Great Lakes.”

Jewell Jones of Inkster, the incumbent state representative in the 11th District, took neither Sanders’ nor Clinton’s side, instead placing him in the center of the spectrum, where he believes “most Democratic Party members fall.”

Jones(Photo: Submitted)

“There is a tendency to think that the majority of Democrats are ultra-liberal, but I believe these are probably the most vocal members of the party,” Jones said. “We all want to pursue sensible policies that support workers, seniors and struggling families who seek good-paying jobs, affordable educations/training, health care and lower auto insurance costs.”

Jones’s challenger, Garden City Mayor Randy Walker, is more succinct about where he stands.

Walker(Photo: Submitted)

“I hold more traditional Democratic values and beliefs,” Walker said.

Jacob Johnson of Wayne, a Democrat running in the state House 16th District — which serves Wayne and Westland — was a “proud” supporter of Sanders in 2016 who interviewed for a position with the Clinton campaign, then turned it down due to family issues.

“I want to be a new kind of leader,” Johnson said. “I want to identify the needs of the community and handle the needs before we work on the wants. Donald Trump and I would disagree on a lot, I feel, but I also would be open to talking with all elected officials to find a middle ground for the common good.”

Johnson(Photo: Submitted)

Kevin Coleman of Westland called himself a “moderate Democrat.” Coleman gave up his seat on the Westland City Council in an unsuccessful effort to unseat Westland Mayor Bill Wild and is now also seeking the 16th District house seat.

“I’m a moderate Democrat with support for some progressive policies, including universal health care, minimum wage increase, criminal-justice reform and expanded voting rights,” Coleman said. “I would like to see more inclusive and compassionate leadership at the federal level. We need leaders at the state level, such as myself, who will fight to protect everyday people and help flip other districts to blue, which I have done and will continue to do.”

Coleman(Photo: Submitted)

Robert Kosowski, a Democrat seeking the state Senate seat in the 6th District (Westland, Romulus, Belleville, Taylor and Flat Rock), aligned himself with neither Sanders’ nor Clinton’s party direction.

Dayna Polehanki of Livonia, running for the state Senate seat in the 7th District being vacated by the term-limited Patrick Colbeck, brushed aside comparisons to national party leadership and focused on her own identity.

“I support public education in Michigan by fully funding our K-12 schools, removing the profit motive in education and making college affordable for working families,” Polehanki said. “I support fixing our roads and crumbling infrastructure by properly funding existing repairs while finding ways to make innovative road-building materials cost-effective. I support giving our seniors the care and secure retirement they’ve rightly earned by reversing the pension tax and protecting Medicare and Medicaid.”